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Java

Cannot find error.

My workspace:

import java.io.Console;
public class Isaiah {  
public static void main(String[] args) {        
Console console = System.console();
boolean isSecretCode;
String isName;
String fatal;
String secretCode;
do {
isName = console.readLine("Enter your name:  ");
if(isName.equals("*ISAIAH*")){
secretCode = console.readLine("YOU HAVE ENTERED A SECRET CODE.\nHERE ARE YOUR OPTIONS.\n >IF YOU WANT TO CONTINUE:\nPRESS I.\n >IF YOU WANT TO EXIT:\n PRESS  E.\n  ");}
isSecretCode = (secretCode.equalsIgnoreCase("E"));
if(secretCode.equalsIgnoreCase("I")){fatal = console.readLine(" WARNING:\nTHIS PROGRAM CAN BE FATAL.\nDO YOU STILL WANT TO CONTINUE?\n\n  ");}
if(fatal.equalsIgnoreCase("yes")){console.readLine("Hello, Isaiah.\n");}
if(isSecretCode){console.printf("Loading...\n");}
}while(isSecretCode);
String number = console.readLine("Enter your favorite number:  ");
String mood = console.readLine("Enter your favorite mood:  "); 
String name = console.readLine("Enter a name:  ");
String creature = console.readLine("Enter your favorite creature:  ");
String color = console.readLine("Enter your favorite color:  ");
String isFavoriteThing = console.readLine("Is a %s, %s %s year old %s named %s your favorite thing?  ", mood, color, number,creature, name);
if(isFavoriteThing.equalsIgnoreCase("no")) {
console.readLine("Why not?  ");
console.printf("Well you should, it's all of your favorite stuff.\n\n");}
String computer = console.readLine("-------------------------------------------------\n  Do you want to have a talk with the computer?  ");
console.printf("\n---------------------------------------------\n\n\n");
if(computer.equalsIgnoreCase("yes")){
String howYouDoing = console.readLine("Hello %s, how are you doing?\n  ", isName);
if(howYouDoing.equalsIgnoreCase("sad") || howYouDoing.equalsIgnoreCase("awful")){
console.readLine("Oh no, %s why are you so sad?\n  ", isName);
}}}}

My error:

Isaiah.java:13: error: variable secretCode might not have been initialized
isSecretCode = (secretCode.equalsIgnoreCase("E"));
^
Isaiah.java:15: error: variable fatal might not have been initialized
if(fatal.equalsIgnoreCase("yes")){console.readLine("Hello, Isaiah.\n");}
^
2 errors

Thanks,

ISAIAH S

1 Answer

Daniel Hartin
Daniel Hartin
18,106 Points

Hi Isaiah

From your debug it looks as though the error can be rectified by simply initializing the boolean variable isSecretCode with either a true or false value.

This error is caused because when compiled if the value of a variable is defined inside an if statement the compiler throws up a kind of red flag as if to say "hey this variable might never get assigned a value and I need to use it later."

It is good practice to assign variables a 'dummy' value so they have some meaning to the program and alter them accordingly as needed. I would change the following lines:-

boolean isSecretCode = true;
String isName = "";
String fatal = "";
String secretCode = "";

This enirely depends on what you need those variables to contain

Hope this helps

Daniel

It DID help!

thanks!!!!